Tag Archives: Entrepreneur

How To Go From Hobby To Hustle To Thriving Niche Business

Being an amateur photography I always love talking to professionals and learning how they mastered their craft…

In today’s episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast, I was able to learn how John A DeMato took mastery to a new level by pursuing his passion for portraits and turning it into an amazing niche business.

More than just a guy who pushes a button for a living, I set my clients up for success beyond the portrait session by educating them on how to best leverage their image content for their websites, social channels, bios, publications, advertisements and various other needs – you know, the fancy stuff, 🙂

As a former television producer, I have over 17 years of production experience, and have been featured as a lifestyle photography expert on several NBC Universal daytime talk and reality shows.

What you will learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

Happy New Year Listeners!

First and foremost, thank you to my fans for your patience. I have heard from a lot of you asking if the show was continuing, and what was going on.

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast is definitely continuing, and we have some big changes coming to the format of the show in 2018 to bring you more value.

We will continue to share stories about how ordinary people followed their passion to build extraordinary lives. We are going to be doing as many as we can through Facebook Live so that you can join us during the conversation, and interact and get your questions answered.

To engage in these sessions, make sure you have Liked and Subscribed on Facebook (click here) and Instagram (click here). You will get alerts when we go live, as well as event notifications in advance of our bigger shows.

What’s New To The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast in 2018?

As part of my mission to help 1,000 Entrepreneurs build a $1.0 Million Business by January 4th, 2023, I am going to be launching a new segment to the show called “The Happy Hour”, where I work with aspiring entrepreneurs to solve business challenges that are holding them back.

Topics will include everything from finding and validating your business idea, finding your first customer, and scaling your business to sustain the life you want to live.

The “Happy Hours” are open to all of my fans. If you are interested in joining me or know someone who has a great business idea, follow this link here: Apply Now

For those of you who aren’t ready to be a guest, but still want the help. I am going to be re-launching The Action Academy, which is an online membership community focused on helping you to take action and begin to build the life you want to be living. If you want to join the wait list for those announcements, you can do that here: Save My Seat (There’s no-charge for the first 100 members).

Why Did The Show Take A Break?

I lost my voice for most of November and October as a result of Pneumonia and Back to Back Colds. As a podcaster, that becomes essential. I was able to use this time to refocus the direction of the show and make sure I was continuing to bring the same level of value to my listeners and fans.

As frustrating as the downtime was, it was a much-needed break that I think my body forced me to take.

I appreciate your patience and understanding while I bounced back and can’t wait for 2018.

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #99

100+ stories about people who have followed their passion to build a business, a better life, or to simply give back!

When I started this journey, I had no clue where it was going. What became inherently clear quickly after I started – was just the simple fact that we NEED TO START.

Here are three of the most common lessons I have learned from all of the great guests.

Just Start

I remember putting off starting the podcast for months! I had so many excuses – I don’t have the right equipment, I need to build a studio, I don’t even know how to get it on iTunes and the most common of all, which everyone seems to use: I don’t have time.

The honest truth, I had too much self-doubt hiding in the background that I didn’t want to start.

Fortunately, I was able to muster enough courage to do it, and I haven’t looked back. It has opened so many doors, and unique opportunities.

The biggest result from starting has been the growth. I have met so many people doing incredible things that it has pushed me to expand my own personal limits.

There is no secret sauce to success, you just need to start!

As cliche as it sounds, you can’t finish a marathon without taking the first step.

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

One of the most common themes I hear from a guest of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast has been their agreement that you MUST get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

That discomfort means you are growing. It is just like working out.

After a good workout, you like feel some pain, maybe some fatigue. After a few weeks of doing it consistently, you feel and look amazing.

The same thing is true on the mental side of your life, yet very few of us are willing to push those boundaries.

When I first launched my podcast and listened to an episode I was horrified. I couldn’t believe how my voice sounded, and how much I stuttered. Now, after 100+ interviews, it comes a lot more natural.

What was even more surprising, was how my interviewing techniques improved and helped in other aspects of my life and business.

If you want to grow personally or professionally, you need to seek out those things that make you uncomfortable and face them head on!

Believe In Yourself

Finally, the single most important lesson I learned from my guests, and it is a hard one for most to accept – you must believe in yourself!

Everyone has a skill or talent that the world values. No matter how small, or insignificant you think that might be – TRUST ME – there is a way to share that value with the world and build a profitable business.

Just this week I met an inspiring entrepreneur who is making an amazing business selling bacon as a gift product – yes, he’s making bacon selling bacon. What was impressive about his business, is he found a way to help local meat shops reach new customers by sharing his passion for quality meats.

There’s a powerful quote that I constantly draw inspiration from;

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. – Marrianne Williamson

The moment when you begin to believe in yourself is when you will begin to unlock your true potential.

The day before something is truly a breakthrough, it’s a crazy idea. – Dr. Peter Diamandis

It has been a true honor to have the privilege of sharing so many great entrepreneurial and philanthropic stories. I look forward to the next 100.

Please be sure to tune in to LIVE Episode 100 at Facebook.com/douglasjfoley on Sept 21 at 10:00am PST/ 1:00PM EST (or catch the replay at douglasjfoley.com/100).

Starring a 10-year high school reunion in the face, Keith F. Shovlin, knew he had a few things he wanted to check off his list and becoming an author was on it!

He had a book idea, but no luck finding a publisher.

Instead of throwing in the towel, he decided to publish the book himself, and in taking action realized that he wasn’t the only one struggling to find a publisher.

That lead to the creating of AOIS, which has now evolved into AOIS Media.

aois21 media is a cloud-based publishing and production service for creators and consumers everywhere, providing a marketing infrastructure to support self-publishers, the tools and guidance to new authors and performers starting out, and titles and programs that span all genres and generations.

What you will learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #84

One of my favorite questions to ask my guests is “If you could go back to the beginning of your journey, what advice would you give yourself?”…

Nikki’s answer was simple, “I wouldn’t”. She values the journey so much, that she would rather relive the entrepreneurial journey. She is now known for being a “message shaper for movement makers.”

NIKKI GROOM is a digital marketer, brand strategist, and content marketing expert for business leaders and entrepreneurs who want to build a successful business while making the world a better place.

She is the host of Movement Makers, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations and unfiltered stories from business leaders and entrepreneurs who are making a difference on the planet, and founder of The 100 Stories Worth Telling Project, which seeks to amplify the voices of women entrepreneurs all over the world.

Nikki is passionate about the power of storytelling as a way for thought leaders to humanize their businesses, build relationships with the people they most want to serve, and inspire readers into action. She is also a firm believer that all businesses should lead with empathy.

Throughout the interview, Nikki shares the importance of taking action, and how in each point of her journey the lessons she learned from jumping head first, led to massive growth, both personally and professionally.

What you will learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #83 with Jay Samit, Author of Disrupt You

There is a big difference between failure and failing.

“Jay Alan Samit is a dynamic entrepreneur and ‘intrepreneur’ who is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on disruption and innovation. He launches billion dollar businesses, transforms entire industries, revamps government institutions, and for over three decades continues to be at the forefront of global trends…(read more)”

A little over a week ago, I had shared one of the lessons from Disrupt You on Instagram, when Jay Samit reached out to me to say thank you. Less than a week later, I had the opportunity to interview him on The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast.

Through Disrupt You, Jay challenges readers to rethink their traditional approach to business and shatters any excuses that may be standing in your way. That advice is followed by tactical steps you can take today to being thinking like many of the billionaire entrepreneurs Jay has coached in his career.

One of the most simple, yet practical exercises he recommends is “to write down 3 problems you face every day. After a month, you have 90 ideas, and a theme will likely emerge. The bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity.”

What really blew me away, was the way he reframed the solution, “when you don’t know how to solve that problem, find something that does…”

Steve Jobs didn’t know how to code, and he created the largest tech company in the world.

Here is an interview with Impact Theory where Jay Samit dives deep into his book:

What will you learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

How to find a billion person problem (and a billion dollar solution)

How billion dollar businesses are built

The importance of hard work and patience

The difference between failing and failure

Why you should focus on the impact, not income

How to connect with Jay Samit:

More about Jay Samit:

Everyone from the Pope to the President calls on Samit to orchestrate positive change in this era of endless innovation. Samit helped grow pre-IPO companies such as Linkedin and eBay, held senior management roles at Sony and Universal Studios, pioneered breakthrough advancements in mobile video, internet advertising, ecommerce, social networks, ebooks, and digital music that are used by billions of consumers every day. Combining innovation with commercial success, Samit is the consummate dealmaker; his list of partners and associates reads like a who’s who list of innovators, including: Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs, Reid Hoffman, David Geffen, Richard Branson, Paul Allen, and Pierre Omidyar. A proven trend spotter, Samit accurately predicts the future because he is constantly working with those who create it (read more)…

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode #75

How Focusing on Value Can Triple (3x) Your Business with Jen Berson, Founder of JenerationPR

Success meant being able to control my own time

The hardest part of starting a business is finding customers. The second hardest part of a business is parting ways with a client.

This past year, JenerationPR tripled their business, yes 3x, and Jen Berson attributes that success by parting ways with her first, and longest standing client. For most people, that would sound absolutely insane. Yet, when you take a deep honest look at your life and your business, you need to get clear about what’s holding you back and where you can deliver value.

Throughout this episode, Jen shares how the focus on value helped her scale her business. What was unique about Jen’s perspective on value, is it was not limited to the value she provides to her clients, but also to the people on her team and how she can add value to their lives by giving them flexibility in their daily lives.

What you will learn on this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

There’s a theme amongst many of this show’s guests that starts something like this…

“Well after I lost my job in 2008…”

Like millions of others, I lost my job in 2008 as a result of the economy downturn. I was fortunate to find another job quickly, but part of me wonders if I had taken the leap into entrepreneurship sooner what life would look like today?

Fortunately, this episode’s guest took that leap and has built an incredibly successful SEO business that operates primarily online. Here’s some background to give some context:

My name is Kris Reid. I am a Software Engineer, originally from Brisbane where I graduated from the Queensland University of Technology (A university for the real world).

I was backpacking around the world a few years ago and because of my love for software development, I built an online game. As the completion day came near for the game I made, I thought that I should learn how to market if anyone else is ever going to play with it. So, I started studying how Google works and learned about Search Engine Optimisation. I quickly discovered how important backlinks are – not just any backlinks, but only quality backlinks with relevant and compelling content on powerful industry-specific websites.

Then, I set out to build the perfect service to provide just that – high-quality backlinks with compelling content on industry-specific websites.

Fast forward a few years later, I now have a permanent office based here in Davao City, Philippines. It’s a quiet beach-side city that gives me access to virtually-unlimited skilled writers, editors, and content marketers to provide essentially limitless amounts of super high-quality powerful backlinks.

What I loved about Kris’ story, was the simple fact that his business came from taking action. He had followed a passion in building a game, however, he needed to find a way to bring it to market and in doing so found a great business opportunity.

That is yet another example of why I encourage listeners to simply take action! That simple choice will lead to so many opportunities for you in business, in your relationships and in life.

What you will learn in this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast:

The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast – Episode 32

How to Grow After an Epic Failure with Bill Connolly, Author, Marketer, Comedian, and Soft Skills Coach.

Do you have stage fright? I used too, and today’s guest definitely did! In today’s episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast, Bill Connolly shares how he embraced his fear, got on stage, bombed, and did it again multiple times.

What I loved about Bill’s perspective is how he learned to grow after an epic failure. That growth carried over into all areas of his life and led to him writing two great books; “The Success Disconnect: Why the Smartest People Choose Meaning over Money” and “Funny Business: Build your soft skills through comedy”, which was named by Forbes as one of “Three Books that May Make You Re-Think Your Career”

What you will learn on this episode of The Happiness of Pursuit Podcast: